Old Time Radio Downloads > Drama > Best Plays

Going on-air from 1952 to 1953, the Best Plays was a NBC Radio program that featured some of the most excellent theatric plays ever created. Some of the best ones featured were dramatic or comedic plays. John Chapman, New York Daily News' drama critic, served as the program's host.

Best-Plays

Please enjoy these old time radio shows:

Air Date Title Synopsis
 1952-12-28  A Bell For Adano

NBC net, KFI, Los Angeles aircheck. "A Bell For Adano". Sustaining. An excellent drama about a U. S. army major from The Bronx who is placed in charge of an Italian village during the second world war. Well done! The program has also been dated December 26, 1952. Arthur Kennedy, William Griffis, Edward King (director), Ernest Kinoy (writer), Fred Lightner, Gilbert Mack, Joe DeSantis, John Chapman (host), John Hersey (author), Joseph Julian, Karl Weber, Louis Sorin, Luis Van Rooten, Myron McCormick, Paul Osborne (author), Robert Denton (announcer), Roger De Koven, Susan Douglas, Tony Randall, William Welch (supervisor).
 1953-01-11  Men In White

+ NBC net, KFI, Los Angeles aircheck. "Men In White". Sponsored by: Sustaining, Seaboard Finance (local). A Pulitzer Prize winning drama, described as an "adult play with an adult theme." A medical drama about a talented physician who must decide between wealth, a beautiful wife and his own practice and a chance to do real medicine, serve humanity and a pretty nurse too! The program has also been dated January 9, 1953. Santos Ortega, John Chapman (host), Sidney Kingsley (author), Ernest Kinoy (adaptor), John Sylvester, Cameron Prud'Homme, Matt Crowley, Marion Carr, Karl Weber (narrator), William Welch (supervisor), Edward King (director), Fred Collins (announcer), Joan Lorring, Bill Adams, John McGovern, Ted Osborne, Barbara Karen (?), Ann Shephard, Richard Basehart, Patricia Weil.
 1953-01-25  There Shall Be No Night

+ NBC net. "There Shall Be No Night". Sustaining. The program has also been dated January 23, 1953. The play won a Pulitzer Prize. John Chapman (host), Fredric March, Florence Eldridge, Robert Sherwood (author), Robert Carroll, Joan Lorring, George Lefferts (adaptor, transcriber), Fred Collins (announcer), William Redfield, Luis Van Rooten, Leon Janney, William Zuckert, Bill Lipton, Donald Buka, John Sylvester, Ivor Francis, William Welch (supervisor), Edward King (director). 

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 ABOUT OLD TIME RADIO
The buzz-term for Old Time Radio is "OTR". OTR usually means radio broadcasting from the golden age of radio, mostly before 1964.These shows from the pre-television age include adventure, comedies, mystery shows, western dramas and shows from World War II. These programs feature the best talent of the day and were broadcast nearly as widely as cable programs today. And just like TV today, families would gather around their crystal radio sets to enjoy the entertainment together.